KATHMANDU, Oct 17: Speaking at the Climate Conclave 2024 in Kathmandu on Thursday, Dr Santosh Nepal, Researcher and Scientist at the International Water Management Institute, delivered a powerful presentation on the escalating impacts of climate change, calling for urgent global action. He highlighted extreme weather events worldwide, such as the 2021 floods in Europe, India’s Chamoli disaster, the 2022 Indus River floods in Pakistan, and the 2023 floods in Sikkim. He warned that Nepal is also facing similar risks.
Dr Nepal shared alarming data, noting that Nepal's maximum temperature has risen by 0.58°C per decade over the past 45 years, with extreme rainfall events and droughts increasing in frequency. "Climatic extremes are rising, impacting water, food, health, and energy sectors," he said. Poor and vulnerable communities will be the hardest hit.
Two-day Huawei Digital Nepal Conclave 2022
With 2023 recorded as the hottest year globally and the summer of 2024 as the hottest on record, Dr Nepal cautioned that climate change projections for Nepal point to a wetter and warmer future, with more rainfall during the monsoon and less during the dry season. Rapid glacier melt, floods, and droughts are expected to worsen.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Nepal made a clear call to action: "The window to act is closing fast. Without immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vulnerable nations like Nepal will transition from a climate crisis to a full-blown emergency. We must act decisively and urgently now.”
